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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"I see disappointment as something small and aggregate rather than something unified or great. With a little effort, every failure can be turned into something good." ~ Eleanor Catton, Author
"I see disappointment as something small and aggregate rather than something unified or great. With a little effort, every failure can be turned into something good." ~ Eleanor Catton, Author
Trending: Pace talks free agency, other key issues. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Joe Maddon doesn't believe in Sports Illustrated cover jinx for Cubs. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Joe Maddon doesn't believe in Sports Illustrated cover jinx for Cubs. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Sweet 16 Preview: Re-ranking the remainder of the NCAA Tournament field. (See the college football section for NCAA "March Madness" Tournament updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Star struck: Blackhawks allow four first-period goals in pummeling.
By Tracey Myers
Coach Joel Quenneville expected this one to be different.
The previous four Blackhawks-Dallas Stars matchups have been wide open, with the Stars winning three of them easily. This time, Quenneville was looking for a close checking game.
“I expect that kind of game tonight start to finish,” he said.
He didn’t get it.
Vernon Fiddler scored two goals as the Stars handed the Blackhawks another lopsided loss, this one 6-2 at the United Center. The Stars, who remain atop the Central Division with 97 points, clinched a playoff berth.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, are winless in six of their last seven. They remain in third in the Central Division, at least for now, with 91 points; Nashville, however, is pushing hard and sits in fourth with 87 points.
The frustration is mounting a bit.
“You can’t blame it on bad luck; you just need to work through some of these games we’re not getting the bounces. You have to work and earn the bounces,” Jonathan Toews said. “We didn’t do that early, again we go down 4-0 — feel like we’ve done that a bunch of times against this team, even at home — it’s going to be an uphill battle trying to get back into the game. And once again that’s what we saw tonight.”
Andrew Shaw and Richard Panik each scored his second goal in as many games. But those were about the only bright spots in an otherwise forgettable game for the Blackhawks.
All seemed fine until about 11 and a half minutes in, when Colton Sceviour scored from behind the net, his shot going off Scott Darling’s stick. Just 25 seconds after that Sceviour, once again behind the net, fed Fiddler in front of it for a 2-0 lead. Despite those bang-bang goals, Patrick Kane said the Blackhawks shouldn’t have gotten down.
“I mean there’s still a lot of game left,” he said. “But you take a penalty and they score on the power play, you get a power play thinking you’ll get one back and I made a bad play at the blue line there and they get a breakaway. Next thing you know they’re up 4-0 again in this building, and it seems like it’s the same game that was here last time. Obviously it’s not the first period we wanted.”No, it wasn’t. And with two more goals later in the period — Patrick Eaves’ power-play goal and Fiddler’s short-handed goal — the Stars were up 4-0 after the first. The Blackhawks skated to the locker room as the United Center crowd booed.
“Halfway through, after one ... basically we’re done early in the game and it’s hard to tell on how to measure,” Quenneville said. “We have two pucks behind our goal line end up in the net, too easy to give up two quick goals like that. Then we make a mistake on our (penalty kill), then it’s a shorty and it was just hard to watch.”
It didn’t get better through the second and third periods, either. Michael Leighton came in to relieve Darling to start the second. Leighton stopped 16 of 17, but the Blackhawks never really got anything going.
What looked like they were hiccups earlier this season have turned into major struggles for the Blackhawks now. They look shaken and their spot among the Central Division’s top three is tenuous. There is still time to turn it around, but the Blackhawks have to respond sooner rather than later.
“We have three days here to regroup,” Kane said. “Maybe it’s what we need right now: get a little time away from games and try to regroup and know what we’re going to do going into the next little road trip here.”
Five Things: Blackhawks get in another 4-0 hole vs. Stars.
By Tracey Myers
Well, if there’s been a troubling trend this season, it’s been how the Blackhawks have fared against the Dallas Stars.
It hasn’t gone well at all. It didn’t go well on Tuesday, either, when the Blackhawks got pummeled, 6-2, by the Stars. They remain in third place in the Central Division with 91 points, but the Nashville Predators, who have been on a hot streak lately, are just four points behind them.
So, if you’re still interested in reading, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ loss to the Stars on Tuesday.
1. Pouring it on again. The Stars have gotten off to 4-0 leads in all four of their victories against the Blackhawks this season, including Tuesday’s game. In this one, the Stars scored two goals within 25 seconds, and they didn’t look back after that. Give credit to the Stars: Regardless of injuries, and they’ve had a few of them lately, they’re still playing at a tremendous level. As coach Joel Quenneville said, the Blackhawks were “playing catch-up hockey against a team that loves to attack.”
2. Another goalie change, sans desired effect. Scott Darling was pulled in favor of Michael Leighton after the Stars scored four goals in the first period. But the Blackhawks, outside of a late second-period goal from Andrew Shaw, did not get the desired effect.
3. Defensive lapses. A turnover behind the net turned into the Stars’ first goal — a shot from behind the net that went off Darling’s stick and in. Another mishandle led to a pass from behind the net that became a goal (Vernon Fiddler’s) just 25 seconds later.
4. Well, the fourth-line guys are scoring. Even though they moved around with line changes during Tuesday’s game, we’ll call Shaw and Richard Panik fourth-liners for consistency’s sake. Those two scored the Blackhawks’ goals in their 3-2 shootout loss to Minnesota on Sunday, and they scored the team’s goals against Dallas. That’s good for them but bad for the rest of the lineup, which has been absent on the score sheet.
5. The (Central) plot continues to thicken. Quenneville has talked often about the Blackhawks squandering their opportunity to get back atop the Central Division. Now they’re dangerously close to dropping into a wild-card spot. The Blackhawks’ next four opponents are teams currently out of the playoffs. Do they finally find the necessary spark on this upcoming road trip?
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... New York Knicks-Chicago Bulls Preview.
By JEFF MEZYDLO
Considering all the Chicago Bulls have endured this season, they finally appear healthy and confident now that it matters most.
Looking to complete a sweep of their four-game home-stand, the Bulls could have an easier time if Carmelo Anthony isn't available for the New York Knicks in Wednesday night's opener of a home-and-home series.
Despite lingering injuries to key players, frequent stretches of underachieving and a failure to always buy into the philosophy of first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, Chicago (36-33) has won three in a row and holds a .001 percent lead over Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
"We've had some ups and downs, but we are finding ways to win games," guard Derrick Rose told the Bulls' official website.
In Monday's 109-102 win over Sacramento, Rose and Taj Gibson each scored 18 and Pau Gasol added 14 with 14 rebounds in 24 minutes, making his return after missing four games with a knee problem. Though the Bulls blew a 12-point lead, they overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the eighth time in 10 home games.
"We have to continue to go out and battle and hopefully play more consistently the next game," Hoiberg said. "The big thing was the overall urgency we showed down the stretch whereas before if we had a lead and it got cut it would continue to spiral the wrong direction. ... (Monday) the guys showed some toughness."
Perhaps that perseverance came from Monday's starting lineup of Gibson, Gasol, Rose, Mike Dunleavy and leading scorer Jimmy Butler. The configuration was the Bulls' desired one to start the season, but opened a game for just the second time.
Chicago won both of those contests.
"That group is pretty good," Dunleavy said. "Hopefully, if we can get healthy and stay healthy that's the key, round into form and give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs.
"There's a sense of confidence and comfort level with that group."
Rose has averaged 19.9 points and 52.4 percent shooting while playing 12 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Gibson has averaged 15.0 points in three games and second-year reserve Doug McDermott is averaging 19.4 while going 17 of 28 from 3-point range in the last five.
Rose, Butler show up late to save Bulls in win over Kings. (Monday night's game, 03/21/2016).
By JEFF MEZYDLO
Considering all the Chicago Bulls have endured this season, they finally appear healthy and confident now that it matters most.
Looking to complete a sweep of their four-game home-stand, the Bulls could have an easier time if Carmelo Anthony isn't available for the New York Knicks in Wednesday night's opener of a home-and-home series.
Despite lingering injuries to key players, frequent stretches of underachieving and a failure to always buy into the philosophy of first-year coach Fred Hoiberg, Chicago (36-33) has won three in a row and holds a .001 percent lead over Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
"We've had some ups and downs, but we are finding ways to win games," guard Derrick Rose told the Bulls' official website.
In Monday's 109-102 win over Sacramento, Rose and Taj Gibson each scored 18 and Pau Gasol added 14 with 14 rebounds in 24 minutes, making his return after missing four games with a knee problem. Though the Bulls blew a 12-point lead, they overcame a five-point fourth-quarter deficit to win for the eighth time in 10 home games.
"We have to continue to go out and battle and hopefully play more consistently the next game," Hoiberg said. "The big thing was the overall urgency we showed down the stretch whereas before if we had a lead and it got cut it would continue to spiral the wrong direction. ... (Monday) the guys showed some toughness."
Perhaps that perseverance came from Monday's starting lineup of Gibson, Gasol, Rose, Mike Dunleavy and leading scorer Jimmy Butler. The configuration was the Bulls' desired one to start the season, but opened a game for just the second time.
Chicago won both of those contests.
"That group is pretty good," Dunleavy said. "Hopefully, if we can get healthy and stay healthy that's the key, round into form and give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs.
"There's a sense of confidence and comfort level with that group."
Rose has averaged 19.9 points and 52.4 percent shooting while playing 12 of 17 games since the All-Star break. Gibson has averaged 15.0 points in three games and second-year reserve Doug McDermott is averaging 19.4 while going 17 of 28 from 3-point range in the last five.
Chicago has averaged 106.9 points and shot 48.3 percent in the last 10 at home.
The Bulls went 5 of 21 from beyond the arc in a 107-91 loss at New York (28-43) on Dec. 19, but hit 10 of 16 to rout the Knicks 108-81 at home New Year's Day.
Anthony totaled 47 points in those games but could sit after a migraine forced him to miss Sunday's 88-80 loss to the Kings. Averaging 84.7 points and shooting 38 percent in a three-game skid, New York trailed 28-12 after one quarter Sunday en route to falling to 0-8 without Anthony.
"You take 'Melo out of the scenario, you can be a little more chancy and risky because you don't get maybe blown up because of your decisions," Sacramento coach George Karl said.
New York's Robin Lopez had 23 points and a career-high 20 rebounds after totaling 11 and 11 boards in the previous two contests. He has 12 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers in the two games against the Bulls this season.
The teams conclude the season series Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Rose, Butler show up late to save Bulls in win over Kings. (Monday night's game, 03/21/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
With the closest thing to a full deck the Bulls have had seemingly all season, they had a chance to right some of the wrongs from early in the season by way of beating an under-.500 team.
And with the tumultuous Sacramento Kings coming to town, the stage was set for the Bulls to win their third straight game, re-establish themselves with playoff positioning and inject some much-needed confidence, something they’re seemingly on the brink of.
Or they could give it away.
“Early in the year, I’m not sure we would’ve won this game,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said, as his words illustrated what 20,000 people in the building were thinking Monday night.
But the Bulls max players wouldn’t let such a thing happen, as Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler combined to do it in different ways when times got direst, leading to a 109-102 win at the United Center.
It felt more like a decision than a win, but considering Pistons’ center Andre Drummond was tipping in a win for the team breathing down the Bulls’ necks just as the Bulls were giving it away, it seemed appropriate the Bulls’ players with the pedigree stepped forward to secure a win.
Because boy, it was dire.
After blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter and watching Rudy Gay, Caron Butler and former Bull Marco Belinelli storm the United Center, Rose and Butler re-entered with the Bulls trailing by three and 8:40 remaining.
It went to five and held at 95-90 with 6:33 left, then the Bulls woke up.
“The guys got themselves in a big huddle and played the most important part of the game,” Hoiberg said.
With the Bulls flailing away, Rose hit two jumpers to spark a 10-0 run, shutting down the Kings’ opportunistic offense. His last gave the Bulls a 98-95 lead with 3:49 remaining, finishing with 18 points and four assists.
“Just taking what they’re giving me. I’m reading the play,” Rose said. “It was my teammates giving me the ball in position to actually do something.”
Butler didn’t have a banner night by any stretch, but his work on the offensive glass, tipping home a miss, getting a steal underneath the basket and then feeding Mike Dunleavy for a triple — his eighth helper of the night — to give the Bulls a 105-97 lead.
“We need to have that urgency for a longer stretch if we want to be successful,” Hoiberg said. “We played well for six minutes, luckily it was the last six of the game.”
The stars showed up late after the bench players carried them early in Pau Gasol’s return.
Taj Gibson had another workman-like performance with 18 points in 33 minutes, as he found himself guarding virtually every position on the floor.
Doug McDermott sparked the Bulls yet again, hitting four triples for 16 points, most of them in the first half as the Bulls appeared to gradually pull away from the game Kings. Justin Holiday hit three triples of his own, and Bobby Portis added some energy before the group faltered in the fourth.
“We’ve had games where we let that slip, where we got blown out being down by that much,” Rose said. “Hopefully we’re learning from it. But when we have a team down like this we have to keep them down.”
Luckily as Butler struggled to a 3-for-10 finish, they didn’t turn the ball over much, with just nine giveaways and tallying 28 assists while hitting 12 3-pointers.
With Butler’s struggles, they needed every bit of what Gasol could offer in his return after a four-game absence.
Gasol played 24 minutes and scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, while being tagged as being a primary defender on the best center in the game, DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins scored 19 with 17 boards, but he wasn’t the main reason the Kings got back in the game after falling behind 69-57 on a Dunleavy triple.
The Bulls couldn’t bully the biggest bully in the game, but they could sure bother him. They double-teamed him and doubled him hard, forcing eight turnovers and taking him out of his rhythm, making him get his offense by going to the glass and doing unconventional things, like taking rebounds end to end for layups.
“Pau was great,” Hoiberg said. “I thought he guarded Cousins as well as anyone can play him, and he still got 19.”
In his stead, Gay and Caron Butler began hitting jumpers to keep things close, and surprisingly the Bulls’ perimeter defense started taking plays off, allowing the relentless Rajon Rondo and reserve guard Darren Collison to get to the basket almost at will.
Gay scored 18 with five rebounds, while Collison scored 19. Rondo scored 14 with five assists and four rebounds, while Butler added 10.
“Where before, if we had a lead, it got cut and we would go on a downward spiral,” Hoiberg said. “The urgency is finally helping us.”
But surprisingly, as things got tough, the Bulls buckled down a bit and showed something many weren’t sure they possessed.
Character.
And with the tumultuous Sacramento Kings coming to town, the stage was set for the Bulls to win their third straight game, re-establish themselves with playoff positioning and inject some much-needed confidence, something they’re seemingly on the brink of.
Or they could give it away.
“Early in the year, I’m not sure we would’ve won this game,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said, as his words illustrated what 20,000 people in the building were thinking Monday night.
But the Bulls max players wouldn’t let such a thing happen, as Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler combined to do it in different ways when times got direst, leading to a 109-102 win at the United Center.
It felt more like a decision than a win, but considering Pistons’ center Andre Drummond was tipping in a win for the team breathing down the Bulls’ necks just as the Bulls were giving it away, it seemed appropriate the Bulls’ players with the pedigree stepped forward to secure a win.
Because boy, it was dire.
After blowing a 12-point lead in the third quarter and watching Rudy Gay, Caron Butler and former Bull Marco Belinelli storm the United Center, Rose and Butler re-entered with the Bulls trailing by three and 8:40 remaining.
It went to five and held at 95-90 with 6:33 left, then the Bulls woke up.
“The guys got themselves in a big huddle and played the most important part of the game,” Hoiberg said.
With the Bulls flailing away, Rose hit two jumpers to spark a 10-0 run, shutting down the Kings’ opportunistic offense. His last gave the Bulls a 98-95 lead with 3:49 remaining, finishing with 18 points and four assists.
“Just taking what they’re giving me. I’m reading the play,” Rose said. “It was my teammates giving me the ball in position to actually do something.”
Butler didn’t have a banner night by any stretch, but his work on the offensive glass, tipping home a miss, getting a steal underneath the basket and then feeding Mike Dunleavy for a triple — his eighth helper of the night — to give the Bulls a 105-97 lead.
“We need to have that urgency for a longer stretch if we want to be successful,” Hoiberg said. “We played well for six minutes, luckily it was the last six of the game.”
The stars showed up late after the bench players carried them early in Pau Gasol’s return.
Taj Gibson had another workman-like performance with 18 points in 33 minutes, as he found himself guarding virtually every position on the floor.
Doug McDermott sparked the Bulls yet again, hitting four triples for 16 points, most of them in the first half as the Bulls appeared to gradually pull away from the game Kings. Justin Holiday hit three triples of his own, and Bobby Portis added some energy before the group faltered in the fourth.
“We’ve had games where we let that slip, where we got blown out being down by that much,” Rose said. “Hopefully we’re learning from it. But when we have a team down like this we have to keep them down.”
Luckily as Butler struggled to a 3-for-10 finish, they didn’t turn the ball over much, with just nine giveaways and tallying 28 assists while hitting 12 3-pointers.
With Butler’s struggles, they needed every bit of what Gasol could offer in his return after a four-game absence.
Gasol played 24 minutes and scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, while being tagged as being a primary defender on the best center in the game, DeMarcus Cousins.
Cousins scored 19 with 17 boards, but he wasn’t the main reason the Kings got back in the game after falling behind 69-57 on a Dunleavy triple.
The Bulls couldn’t bully the biggest bully in the game, but they could sure bother him. They double-teamed him and doubled him hard, forcing eight turnovers and taking him out of his rhythm, making him get his offense by going to the glass and doing unconventional things, like taking rebounds end to end for layups.
“Pau was great,” Hoiberg said. “I thought he guarded Cousins as well as anyone can play him, and he still got 19.”
In his stead, Gay and Caron Butler began hitting jumpers to keep things close, and surprisingly the Bulls’ perimeter defense started taking plays off, allowing the relentless Rajon Rondo and reserve guard Darren Collison to get to the basket almost at will.
Gay scored 18 with five rebounds, while Collison scored 19. Rondo scored 14 with five assists and four rebounds, while Butler added 10.
“Where before, if we had a lead, it got cut and we would go on a downward spiral,” Hoiberg said. “The urgency is finally helping us.”
But surprisingly, as things got tough, the Bulls buckled down a bit and showed something many weren’t sure they possessed.
Character.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Pace talks free agency, other key issues.
Before leaving for the NFL owners meetings in Florida, Bears general manager Ryan Pace discussed free agency and other key issues with ChicagoBears.com.
What was your plan heading into free agency and how well do you feel it was executed?
"Free agency is risky, so you've got to be careful about putting all of your eggs in one basket and one player. So our plan was to spread it out, with a little bit more focus on defense, and that's how it played out. A critical piece is to have our guys stacked and ranked correctly, and our pro scouts did a great job of that. Let's say you've got a specific player targeted. Once he gets above a certain price point, you've got to be disciplined with stepping away and going to the next player, and we were able to execute that pretty well."
Most of the free agents the Bears have signed are in their mid-20s. How important is it to add players who are still in their primes and do so without breaking the bank?
"You're looking for guys that still have upside, that are still getting better. So obviously when they're 25 or 26, you're still hoping that they're [ascending]. But you've got to be careful. Players become free agents for different reasons. Most clubs are trying to retain their players, so you're trying to figure out, 'Why is he available?' It could be because the team has a lot of depth at the position or they have salary cap issues. You're just trying to navigate through that. You're always wary in free agency."
The first big free agent you signed was inside linebacker
"First of all, when you're signing players who come from clubs that we've been with, it reduces your risk. I almost look at Trevathan as signing one of our own players because John and his staff drafted him and they know him very well. He's athletic, explosive and instinctive; all the things we look for. But beyond that, he brings a ton of energy and passion in the way he plays. He has a physical style, but he also has a charismatic personality, which I think is good to have around here. And we always talk about recruiting sore losers. All of these [free-agent acquisitions] come from organizations where losing isn't acceptable."
Why was inside linebacker
"He's taken a unique path from a small college [Mary Hardin-Baylor] to the CFL and then to Indianapolis. But everywhere he's been at all those levels he's been highly, highly productive. His instincts stand out and he makes a ton of plays. He's consistent and he also has that demeanor that we're looking for."
How will adding Trevathan and Freeman enable defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to be more creative or flexible?
"There's just so much experience with both of those guys. They've both played a lot of NFL snaps at that position. So it gives [Fangio] some flexibility there. They've seen a lot in their years in the league and they're both athletic enough to do a lot of different things not just versus the run but in coverage as well."
Another one of your free agent acquisitions, defensive end
"I think Akiem still has a lot of upside. His game really took off in the later part of last year with New England as he got comfortable in that scheme. When I think of Akiem I think of a guy with raw, brute strength and power. He's going to continue to work on his technique and pad level. But he can just overpower his opponent because he's so strong. He's also a good guy and a hard worker, so all those things hopefully will lead to continued improvement in his game."
Did you go into free agency looking for a tackle like
"We kind of let it come to us. We looked at guards and tackles. You watch both of those markets in free agency and certain positions just take off. It seems like every position in free agency each year can differ and sometimes [the price to sign a free agent] gets high real quick. We just felt like we identified a player [in Massie] that we liked. [Offensive coordinator] Dowell [Loggains] has done a good job of identifying traits that we're looking for offensively in each player and we felt that Bobby matched those traits for a right tackle. We want somebody that's tough and very strong and physical in the run game and has the size to do that, and Bobby definitely has that. Kyle has position flexibility, so now he goes back to guard and we're rolling."
How will switching Long back to guard improve the offensive line?
"It's just putting your best five out there. We've got grades on all these players and we put our five highest graded offensive linemen on the field, and it puts Kyle back at guard where he has more experience. But he played well at tackle, too. Again, he's a versatile player. We're excited about Bobby Massie and what he brings to the table, and then it puts Kyle at a position where we know that he's performed at a very high level."
There's been a lot of talk this offseason about how high the Bears are on running backs
"You don't always go into free agency saying, 'Hey, we're definitely going to attack this position.' Sometimes there are unique players that come up that you say, 'OK, maybe we have a history with this guy and it's worth it.' I think back to New Orleans. We didn't go into free agency saying we wanted to sign Darren Sproles. It just kind of came to us. You've got to be open to that. So when he became available, it's something that we entertained. You can never have enough good players. So if you identify a good player, no matter what position, you figure out a way to put him in the mix."
One of the Bears' free agents you re-signed was
"When we talk about the kind of teammates that we want here, Zach embodies that to a tee with his work ethic, his preparation and his attitude. He's just a pleasure to have in the building, and it's infectious just being around him. In addition to that, his game elevated last year. Credit him for staying healthy and doing all the little things and being proactive with injury prevention. We expect a big season from Zach. He's going to excel in this offense and we're really excited to have him back."
How will the moves you made in free agency affect your approach in the draft?
"We've got green magnets on our draft board where we have needs and we've been able to eliminate some of those green magnets through free agency. The best approach to the draft—and I know this sounds redundant—is taking the best player available, and it really puts us in position to do that and increase our chances of success in the draft."
What's next for the Bears in free agency?
"We're kind of in that second or third wave of free agency now. So now is when you start getting calls from agents instead of calling them. We've just got to be strategic with this part, too. It's kind of like the later rounds of the draft or college free agency. You can find good value here and that's kind of the point we're at in free agency right now."
What's the latest with
"We know we have an extended period of time to continue to negotiate with him, and that's what's happening. The conversations have been cordial and productive, and they'll continue. I know Alshon's working hard and he's training and we're communicating with him on that. Everything's been going well."
19 Rule Changes Being Considered by the NFL.
49ers Staff
The NFL's 32 owners will have 19 rule proposals to consider at next week's annual meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. The potential rule changes range from eliminating chop blocks and overtime periods in preseason games, to allowing teams to have three challenges per game and perhaps the most discussed one of all, ejecting players who have been penalized twice in a game with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Each proposal has to receive a "yes" vote from 24 of 32 owners for it to pass as an official NFL rule.
Take a look at the 19 possible changes for 2016. Click here for an in-depth explanation for each proposal.
1. By Competition Committee; Permanently moves the line of scrimmage for Try kicks to the defensive team's 15-yard line, and allows the defense to return any missed Try.
2. By Competition Committee; Permits the offensive and defensive play callers on the coaching staffs to use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they are on the field or in the coaches' booth.
3. By Competition Committee; Makes all chop blocks illegal.
4. By Competition Committee; Disqualifies a player who is penalized twice in one game for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls.
5. By Competition Committee; Changes the spot of the next snap after a touchback resulting from a free kick to the 25-yard line.
6. By Baltimore; to amend Rule 5, Sections 3, Articles 1 and 2 (Changes in Position) to require players to wear jersey vests with numbers appropriate for their positions.
7. By Baltimore; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Articles 1, 4, and 5 (Instant Replay) to provide each team with three challenges and expand reviewable plays.
8. By Buffalo; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Articles 1, 4, and 5 (Instant Replay) to permit a coach to challenge any official's decision except scoring plays and turnovers.
9. By Carolina; to amend Rule 8, Section 2, Article 1 (Intentional Grounding) to expand the definition of intentional grounding.
10. By Kansas City; to amend Rule 14, Section 2, Article 1 (Half-distance Penalty) to add penalty yards to the distance needed to gain a First Down.
11. By Kansas City; to amend Rule 8, Section 1, Article 2 (Legal Forward Pass) to prohibit quarterbacks from falling to the ground, getting up, and throwing a forward pass.
12. By Minnesota; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 1 (Coaches' Challenge) to eliminate the requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two Instant Replay challenges in order to be awarded a third challenge.
13. By Washington; to amend Rule 16, Section 1, Articles 1, 4, 6 and 7 (Overtime procedures) to eliminate overtime periods in preseason games.
14. By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 4 (Reviewable Plays) to subject personal foul penalties to Instant Replay review.
15. By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 1 (Coaches' Challenge) to eliminate the requirement that a team be successful on each of its first two Instant Replay challenges in order to be awarded a third
challenge.
16. By Competition Committee; Expands the horse collar rule to include when a defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground.
17. By Competition Committee; Makes it a foul for delay of game when a team attempts to call a timeout when it is not permitted to do so.
18. By Competition Committee; Eliminates the five-yard penalty for an eligible receiver illegally touching a forward pass after being out of bounds and re-establishing himself
inbounds, and makes it a loss of down.
19. By Competition Committee; Eliminates multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession.
Update: NFL owners approve rule changes.
By Larry Mayer
NFL owners approved seven rule changes Tuesday at their meetings in Florida:
1) On extra point attempts, the ball will permanently by placed at the 15-yard line and the defense will be allowed to return any miss for a potential two points.
2) All chop blocks will be illegal.
3) The horse-collar rule will be expanded to include when a defender grabs a runner’s jersey at the name plate or above and pulls him toward the ground.
4) A team that attempts to call a timeout when it has none remaining will be penalized five yards for delay of game.
5) When a receiver goes out of bounds and is first to touch a forward pass, he no longer will be penalized. Instead, it will just be a loss of down.
6) Multiple spots of enforcement for a double foul after a change of possession will be eliminated.
7) Coaches calling offensive and defensive plays can use the coach-to-player communication system regardless of whether they’re on the field or coaches booth.
All seven rule changes were proposed by the competition committee. The owners may consider other rule changes on Wednesday.
Jake Arrieta Effect could help next generation of Cubs pitchers.
By Patrick Mooney
Whatever numbers the Ivy computer system spits out, the Cubs will still have to account for Jake Arrieta’s intangibles.
The Cubs don’t want to buy into a bubble after Arrieta’s only wire-to-wire season in the big leagues, especially without the safety net of the franchise’s next big TV contract already locked into place.
Arrieta wants to be treated like a Cy Young Award winner, and Scott Boras didn’t become the most powerful agent in the game by taking hometown discounts and signing team-friendly deals.
But both sides recognize this is a great business relationship — for at least two more seasons — with the Cubs allowing Arrieta to be himself and getting a No. 1 starter who accepts all face-of-the-franchise responsibilities.
When Pierce Johnson got optioned to Triple-A Iowa last week, Arrieta sent a message to the first pitcher drafted here by the Theo Epstein administration.
“I told him that he’s right where he needs to be,” Arrieta said. “I’ve seen his process. I play catch with him on our side days. His direction is incredibly different than it was last year. The rotation on his ball is true. His timing is good.
“And I told him that it’s going to translate. You just need to block out all the other BS in between the lines, rather than focusing on where my delivery is at this point or that point.”
Arrieta speaks with authority after the Baltimore Orioles tried to fix his mechanics and the natural crossfire motion the Cubs encouraged after a game-changing trade in July 2013. He had spent part of that season — and 2012 and 2010 and 2009 — at the Triple-A level.
The Cubs hoped Johnson would be on a faster track in 2012 when they chose him out of Missouri State University with the 43rd overall pick (as compensation for losing free agent Aramis Ramirez). A forearm issue hurt his draft stock, and he’s dealt with a series of injuries during an underwhelming start to his professional career.
Johnson kept listening after a rough start in the Cactus League — seven runs, three homers and three walks allowed through four innings — and responded by putting up four scoreless innings against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night at Goodyear Ballpark.
A National League scout said that’s the best he’s seen Johnson throw (though the right-hander is not viewed as a frontline prospect).
“When you’re in between the lines, you have to just execute,” Arrieta said. “That can be the only mindset. I told him to stay on track where he is now because he’s right there.
“In between the lines for him right now is the adjustment. It’s nothing on Day 1 through 4. It’s figuring out how to stay locked in once he’s out there on the game mound facing live hitters. He is close. He knows it.”
This isn’t just about Johnson — who went 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 16 starts for Double-A Tennessee last season — for an imbalanced organization stacked with young hitters.
While Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber experienced unbelievable growth spurts and completely warped the perception of a normal timetable for player development, Epstein’s front office has so far used 80 draft picks on pitchers and hasn’t seen any of them throw in the big leagues yet.
“Not pressure,” Johnson said. “I’m excited to get up there and play with those guys again, because I played with all those guys in the minor leagues. Just seeing those guys have success up there — it gives me hope, too. But I’d definitely say I’m a little jealous that they’re up there already.”
While managing the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon saw up close what James Shields did for the entire pitching staff, pushing his teammates to get better and be on the top step of the dugout paying attention and giving high-fives.
Shields passed that along to David Price, who handed it down to Chris Archer. Arrieta could become that type of presence for the Cubs.
“There’s a lot of guys that talk about doing stuff like that but never really do (it),” Maddon said. “The fact that he’s actually taking the time to do that — because that takes away from his overall day — that’s the kind of stuff that matters.
“Hopefully, that’s what will make us really good for years to come — the fact that we’ve got a bunch of guys like that who are willing to share.”Of course, if Arrieta can somehow influence a next generation of pitchers at Wrigley Field, then maybe that $200 million would be better spent somewhere else.
“What a good guy, on and off the field,” Johnson said. “Every day he came up to talk to me. After outings, we would kind of diagnose everything, what went wrong, what went right, how to make adjustments and what to do.
“The way he goes about his business and everything is phenomenal. So if I can translate that to my game, hopefully it can take off like his.”
Joe Maddon doesn't believe in Sports Illustrated cover jinx for Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn’t believe in the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
The Cubs landed on the front of the magazine’s baseball preview with Sports Illustrated picking the Houston Astros — another team accused of tanking during a multiyear rebuild — to beat them in the World Series.
“Well, you know, just get us there,” Maddon said before Tuesday’s Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. “SI, please get us there. I’d be happy with that.”
All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward, Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta made the regional cover, which labels the group as “The Revenants: Out of The Desert, into the World Series (Finally).”
The Cubs don’t want to buy into a bubble after Arrieta’s only wire-to-wire season in the big leagues, especially without the safety net of the franchise’s next big TV contract already locked into place.
Arrieta wants to be treated like a Cy Young Award winner, and Scott Boras didn’t become the most powerful agent in the game by taking hometown discounts and signing team-friendly deals.
But both sides recognize this is a great business relationship — for at least two more seasons — with the Cubs allowing Arrieta to be himself and getting a No. 1 starter who accepts all face-of-the-franchise responsibilities.
When Pierce Johnson got optioned to Triple-A Iowa last week, Arrieta sent a message to the first pitcher drafted here by the Theo Epstein administration.
“I told him that he’s right where he needs to be,” Arrieta said. “I’ve seen his process. I play catch with him on our side days. His direction is incredibly different than it was last year. The rotation on his ball is true. His timing is good.
“And I told him that it’s going to translate. You just need to block out all the other BS in between the lines, rather than focusing on where my delivery is at this point or that point.”
Arrieta speaks with authority after the Baltimore Orioles tried to fix his mechanics and the natural crossfire motion the Cubs encouraged after a game-changing trade in July 2013. He had spent part of that season — and 2012 and 2010 and 2009 — at the Triple-A level.
The Cubs hoped Johnson would be on a faster track in 2012 when they chose him out of Missouri State University with the 43rd overall pick (as compensation for losing free agent Aramis Ramirez). A forearm issue hurt his draft stock, and he’s dealt with a series of injuries during an underwhelming start to his professional career.
Johnson kept listening after a rough start in the Cactus League — seven runs, three homers and three walks allowed through four innings — and responded by putting up four scoreless innings against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night at Goodyear Ballpark.
A National League scout said that’s the best he’s seen Johnson throw (though the right-hander is not viewed as a frontline prospect).
“When you’re in between the lines, you have to just execute,” Arrieta said. “That can be the only mindset. I told him to stay on track where he is now because he’s right there.
“In between the lines for him right now is the adjustment. It’s nothing on Day 1 through 4. It’s figuring out how to stay locked in once he’s out there on the game mound facing live hitters. He is close. He knows it.”
This isn’t just about Johnson — who went 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 16 starts for Double-A Tennessee last season — for an imbalanced organization stacked with young hitters.
While Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber experienced unbelievable growth spurts and completely warped the perception of a normal timetable for player development, Epstein’s front office has so far used 80 draft picks on pitchers and hasn’t seen any of them throw in the big leagues yet.
“Not pressure,” Johnson said. “I’m excited to get up there and play with those guys again, because I played with all those guys in the minor leagues. Just seeing those guys have success up there — it gives me hope, too. But I’d definitely say I’m a little jealous that they’re up there already.”
While managing the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon saw up close what James Shields did for the entire pitching staff, pushing his teammates to get better and be on the top step of the dugout paying attention and giving high-fives.
Shields passed that along to David Price, who handed it down to Chris Archer. Arrieta could become that type of presence for the Cubs.
“There’s a lot of guys that talk about doing stuff like that but never really do (it),” Maddon said. “The fact that he’s actually taking the time to do that — because that takes away from his overall day — that’s the kind of stuff that matters.
“Hopefully, that’s what will make us really good for years to come — the fact that we’ve got a bunch of guys like that who are willing to share.”Of course, if Arrieta can somehow influence a next generation of pitchers at Wrigley Field, then maybe that $200 million would be better spent somewhere else.
“What a good guy, on and off the field,” Johnson said. “Every day he came up to talk to me. After outings, we would kind of diagnose everything, what went wrong, what went right, how to make adjustments and what to do.
“The way he goes about his business and everything is phenomenal. So if I can translate that to my game, hopefully it can take off like his.”
Joe Maddon doesn't believe in Sports Illustrated cover jinx for Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn’t believe in the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
The Cubs landed on the front of the magazine’s baseball preview with Sports Illustrated picking the Houston Astros — another team accused of tanking during a multiyear rebuild — to beat them in the World Series.
“Well, you know, just get us there,” Maddon said before Tuesday’s Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. “SI, please get us there. I’d be happy with that.”
All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward, Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta made the regional cover, which labels the group as “The Revenants: Out of The Desert, into the World Series (Finally).”
This is the same outlet that proclaimed Houston as “Your 2017 World Series Champs” back in 2014. The Astros puffed out their chests and granted behind-the-scenes access for that cover story, but their surprising breakthrough into the playoffs last season accelerated the timeline.
“It’s just part of the game, man,” Maddon said. “I’m sure they’ve been right on occasion. They’ve probably been wrong more than they’ve been right. But everybody’s wrong more than they’re right when it comes down to predicting who’s going to be where.”
Keep in mind that Sports Illustrated splashed the Cubs — and a high-stepping Pedro Strop — across the cover of last year’s Aug. 31 issue. The Cubs finished the regular season as the hottest team in baseball and eliminated the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals from the playoffs.
Cubs fans also remember the “It’s Gonna Happen” and “Hell Freezes Over” covers from the 2008 (Kosuke Fukudome) and 2004 (Kerry Wood) seasons that ended in bitter disappointment.
“I don’t put a whole lot of emphasis on any of that,” Maddon said. “I think it’s great for the organization. Just like it’s great for the Rays now to be participating in the game in Cuba (with) the stage you got there. When you’re presented on the cover of Sports Illustrated, obviously, it’s a wonderful stage for us.
“But it doesn’t mean anything other than it’s good reading (and) great photography. When I was a kid, man, you couldn’t wait for that to come out.”
White Sox overcome Mat Latos' 'blonde moment'.
Mat Latos expected to have a hiccup in his first Cactus League game.
He didn’t expect this.
The White Sox starter pitched well into the fifth inning on Tuesday before he “imploded,” allowing a pair of home runs and a five-spot. The right-hander completed 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs and 11 hits. Latos struck out four for the White Sox, who rallied past the San Francisco Giants 8-7.
“I kind of expected it,” Latos said. “I didn’t expect it to be a complete explosion, that was embarrassing. But I’m healthy, the knee feels good. Like I said, first inning through fourth inning shows how I really feel. Just again, a dumb move by me. A blonde moment, if you will, just getting out of what I wanted to accomplish and that’s not the game plan. We don’t want to get aggravated when we’re out there. Stick to the game plan. If it’s not broke don’t fix it. I kind of let it to get me and that was a dumb selfish mistake and we’ll progress there.”
He didn’t expect this.
The White Sox starter pitched well into the fifth inning on Tuesday before he “imploded,” allowing a pair of home runs and a five-spot. The right-hander completed 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs and 11 hits. Latos struck out four for the White Sox, who rallied past the San Francisco Giants 8-7.
“I kind of expected it,” Latos said. “I didn’t expect it to be a complete explosion, that was embarrassing. But I’m healthy, the knee feels good. Like I said, first inning through fourth inning shows how I really feel. Just again, a dumb move by me. A blonde moment, if you will, just getting out of what I wanted to accomplish and that’s not the game plan. We don’t want to get aggravated when we’re out there. Stick to the game plan. If it’s not broke don’t fix it. I kind of let it to get me and that was a dumb selfish mistake and we’ll progress there.”
Each of Latos’ previous three turns came against teams he would potentially face early in the season. That left him pitching in simulated games and B games against minor-leaguers.
Latos could feel a difference between those contests and Tuesday’s immediately, noting he was so amped he didn’t think he’d throw a strike on his first pitch. But he did and followed with eight straight more strikes before hitting Brandon Belt.
Working with a fastball that touched 92, Latos pitched well in his first four frames. He had a good downward angle on his pitches and liked his command.
But the Giants got Latos out of rhythm in the middle innings with a number of bloop hits and he got untracked.
“I thought the first few he was crisp,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He looked good. He was down. After that, there could be a couple things in there — fatigue, could be getting him out here for the first time. I think it’s just getting him back out here and getting him stretched out and getting him stronger. Encouraged by the start of it just how crisp he was.”
Latos also is encouraged. But he was upset about how he went away from the game plan and how his good misses turned into mistakes.
He allowed home runs to Belt and Miguel Olivo and gave up five hits in his final inning.
“I kind of backed away from what we were trying to accomplish a little bit there,” Latos said. “That’s not something I want to do.
“Just kind of let a couple things get to me, a couple cheap hits and everything just kind of imploded. Started to get away from my main focus and hung a breaking ball and hung a slider.”
While disappointed by the end, Latos liked enough of what he did. He cracked several jokes in his media session and continues to be upbeat about his work with pitching coach Don Cooper.
Health didn’t appear to be an issue and he got up and down five times. Latos threw 74 pitches and is scheduled to pitch twice more before the regular season.
“It felt really good,” Latos said. “Felt really good to get out there.”
The White Sox took an early 3-0 lead on an RBI double by Jose Abreu, a Melky Cabrera sac fly and an Austin Jackson solo homer. Todd Frazier later singled in a run to cut the Sox deficit to 7-4.
Jimmy Rollins tied the score at 7 with a three-run homer in the sixth and Travis Ishikawa’s solo shot put the White Sox ahead for good.
Tyler Danish lowered his spring ERA to 2.16 with 2 1/3 innings. Nate Jones and Zach Putnam each pitched scoreless frames, too.
Golf: I got a club for that..... World Golf Championship-Dell Match Play: Bracket breakdown, favorites and sleepers.
The Sporting News
Jordan Spieth hopes a return to Texas can help him regain his form. (Photo/SportingNews)
This is the only match-play event on tour. It also had a bit of a facelift since its inauguration in 1999.
The event originally was single-elimination all the way through. Players competed in a 64-man bracket very similar to the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the event adopted a World Cup-like format that features 16 groups of four golfers. One player will win his group, then enter a single-elimination knockout stage with 16 golfers remaining.
Some pros, like Henrik Stenson, who chose not to compete this week, are not fans of the changes. Stenson feels the round-robin start takes the edge out of match play because Friday's matches may not even matter.
With that being said, expect a lot of fireworks as difficult Austin Country Club hosts the event for the first time. Winds are expected to be high and water is in play there, so there could be some interesting duels.
Here are the groups and our predicted winners:
Group 1
Jordan Spieth
Moving on: Spieth and Thomas are good friends off the course who know each other's game's really well. Dubuisson finished second in this event in 2014, but Spieth at home — he went to the University of Texas, briefly — will be too much for the other three.
Sleeper: Despite entering the week in poor form, Dubuisson is capable of pulling off a few upsets. All eyes will be on the Spieth-Thomas matchup on Friday, but Dubuisson could sneak through.
Group 2
Jason Day
Paul Casey
Thongchai Jaidee
Graeme McDowell
Moving on: Casey enters the tournament with the best record in this event in the entire field. He has 20 wins and he has finished second twice in the event. He also made it to the final eight last year.
Sleeper: Jaidee may be the oldest player in the field, but he's sneaky around the greens. He could catch this group of stars unaware and advance to the final 16.
Group 3
Rory McIlroy
Kevin Na
Smylie Kaufman
Thorbjorn Olesen
Moving on: McIlroy, last year's champion, should have a pretty smooth road to the knockout stage. There are some sneaky-tough matchups in here, but expect the Northern Irishman to prevail.
Sleeper: Kaufman has enjoyed a fine rookie season. He won in the fall and owns consecutive top 15 finishes. Kaufman will be a force in this event — just not this week.
Group 4
Bubba Watson
J.B HolmesEmiliano Grillo
Patton Kizzire
Moving on: In a group of heavy hitters, Watson has the best chance to make it through. He has been in great form this year and comes in with the most experience. Regardless of who wins, the match between Watson and Holmes will be fascinating to watch.
Sleeper: Grillo won in the fall and played well last week at Bay Hill. He ranks first on tour in total driving, which will be important in the windy conditions. He, not Holmes, will likely be Watson's biggest threat.
Group 5
Rickie Fowler
Byeong-Hun AnScott Piercy
Jason Dufner
Moving on: At first glance, Fowler may have drawn the easiest group among the top 10 players; however, An is a player to watch and Piercy is dangerous when hot. Expect Fowler to make it through, though.
Sleeper: Dufner won earlier this year and has played on countless Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. His match-play experience should at least vault him to second in this group, and maybe even to a position where he can topple the heavy favorite.
Group 6
Adam Scott
Bill Haas
Chris Wood
Thomas Pieters
Moving on: This one is tough. Scott might be the hottest golfer in the world right now, but he has been brutal in this event since his fine showing in 2003. We think Haas, who is a better wind player than Scott, will make it out of the group.
Sleeper: Wood, normally a European Tour player, has found success in recent events on American soil, posting a T-20 last week at Bay Hill. He has the firepower to cause a couple upsets.
Group 7
Justin Rose
Matt Kuchar
Anirban Lahiri
Fabian Gomez
Moving on: Rose should have no trouble making it through to the knockout stage. He's long off the tee, is solid with his irons and can handle wind. Rose will be more concerned with making a long run than advancing out of this group.
Sleeper: Lahiri has acquainted himself with PGA Tour golf this year, with mixed results. He finished second on the European Tour last week, so he should enter the tournament with confidence.
Group 8
Dustin Johnson
Jimmy Walker
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Robert Streb
Moving on: This group features a wide assortment of talents. Johnson smashes the ball and has had success in windy conditions. Walker is one of the best iron players on tour, and Aphibarnrat is an excellent putter. Walker makes it through in the state he played college golf (Baylor).
Sleeper: Aphibarnrat, nicknamed "Arm," finished in the top 10 last week and has impressed during WGC events in the past. Johnson is very beatable in match play and Walker's form is always a question.
Group 9
Patrick Reed
Phil Mickelson
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Daniel Berger
Moving on: There was a lot of buzz when this group was announced, but a second glance really separates two guys. Reed has been great in match play recently, so expect him to get through.
Sleeper: Berger is a hard-nosed golfer who doesn't get scared by his opponent. If Reed trash talks, Berger will give it right back. He hasn't been in the best form this year, but could break out of this group.
Group 10
Danny Willett
Brooks Koepka
Billy Horschel
Jaco Van Zyl
Moving on: Golf Channel called this one the "Group of Death" after it was announced. We, however, think Day and Casey's group is tougher. With that being said, any one of Willett, Koepka or Horschel could make it through. We give Koepka the slight upper hand.
Sleeper: Van Zyl won't get a lot of attention grouped with these three stars, but the hard-hitting South African can play. If the other three aren't on their games, Van Zyl could walk out of this group.
Group 11
Branden Grace
Russell Knox
David Lingmerth
Chris Kirk
Moving on: Grace is the most talented player in this group by far. His low ball flight should be a positive in the high winds as well. He just needs to take care of business on the greens.
Sleeper: Lingmerth is making his debut in this event. The talented Swede has flashed potential a couple times in the last two years. Consistency is an issue, but he could make some noise if he's in form.
Group 12
Hideki Matsuyama
Kevin Kisner
Soren Kjeldsen
Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Moving on: The battle between Matsuyama and Kisner would have been epic a couple months ago when Kisner was playing better than anyone. He has since slowed down, and Matsuyama is in form. He will advance easily.
Sleeper: Cabrera-Bello has two runner-up finishes on the European Tour this season and just finished T-11 at Doral. He's a streaky player who makes a lot of birdies. That could be dangerous in this format.
Group 13
Sergio Garcia
Marc Leishman
Ryan Moore
Lee Westwood
Moving on: This group would have been the group of death a couple years ago. Now, it's hard to say who will make it through because no one inspires much confidence. Moore, who is in the best form currently and has had success in match play, gets the nod.
Sleeper: Leishman is a dangerous player who seemingly plays his best golf in big events.
Group 14
Zach Johnson
Shane Lowry
Martin Kaymer
Marcus Fraser
Moving on: Lowry has upset McIlroy in this event and he won a WGC event last season. Johnson is always a tough opponent in match play, but he doesn't have a winning record in this tournament. Lowry gets through.
Sleeper: Kaymer is easily the most enigmatic golfer on tour. The two-time major champion has also won the Players and finished second at this event in 2011. His current form is brutal, though.
Group 15
Brandt Snedeker
Charl Schwartzel
Danny Lee
Charley Hoffman
Moving on: Schwartzel, despite not being the top seed in the group, is the favorite to make it through after advancing out of Dustin Johnson's group last year. Schwartzel also won the Valspar Championship two weeks ago.
Sleeper: Lee is a great iron player with a streaky putter. If he gets hot, he could get past this winnable group.
Group 16
Louis Oosthuizen
Andy Sullivan
Bernd Wiesberger
Matt Jones
Moving on: Sullivan will surprise some people and carry his good form into this week. The talented Englishman has won three times on the European Tour since the start of 2015.
Sleeper: Jones was in contention at the PGA Championship until the end last year. He's a solid wind player and streaky putter. Really, anyone could make it out of this group.
There is a tremendous amount of parity in golf and it is led by Jordan Spieth.
By Cork Gaines
Jordan Spieth took the golf world by storm in 2015, winning five times, including the first two majors of the year. But as great as Spieth has been, he is only one of many golfers enjoying routine success on the PGA Tour.
Since the start of the 2015 season, 14 different golfers have finished in the top 10 of a PGA Tour event at least ten times. To take it a step further, a whopping 32 different golfers have at least three top-3 finishes since the start of the 2015 season.
Here is every golfer with at least ten top-10 finishes over that span.
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Jimmie Johnson swipes another No. 1 position.
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
1. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 3): Jimmie Johnson's just out here sniping wins left and right. Johnson now has won 40 percent of the season's Sprint Cup Series races. In those two wins -- OK, 40 percent sounds a lot more significant, doesn't it? -- Johnson has led 77 laps total. He led 76 laps at Las Vegas alone. And after the race, his crew chief Chad Knaus said that "I don't feel that we're running as strong as what we need. I think we're okay, for sure, obviously. But I think from my standpoint, we should be doing a little bit better."
It's a scary thought for the rest of the Cup Series, but it's one that is based in truth. Johnson has gotten his two wins because of pit strategy. He pitted ahead of Kevin Harvick and pulled away at Atlanta and pitted a lap earlier to stay on the lead lap on Sunday and then got a great final pit stop to be in position for the win.
Of course, Johnson got wins like this last year and Knaus was saying similar things as the team ended up being flukily eliminated from the Chase in the first round. But we have a sneaking feeling that the No. 48 team isn't going to have a deja vu moment in 2016.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): It's got to be frustrating for Kevin Harvick to dominate yet another intermediate track race and come up second to Johnson. But on the other hand, Harvick is in position to get beaten. While it's maddening to lead nearly 75 percent of a race and finish second, there are a lot of people who would trade positions with you. We should probably appreciate the No. 4 team's excellence and consistency more than we should.
3. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4): A second-straight third-place finish puts Hamlin back into the top three. Hamlin led just two laps all weekend, but a great final pit stop had him within sniffing distance of the lead. Before the final caution, Hamlin was heading for a top 10. The tire issue for Kyle Busch simply gave him a chance to upgrade.
It's a scary thought for the rest of the Cup Series, but it's one that is based in truth. Johnson has gotten his two wins because of pit strategy. He pitted ahead of Kevin Harvick and pulled away at Atlanta and pitted a lap earlier to stay on the lead lap on Sunday and then got a great final pit stop to be in position for the win.
Of course, Johnson got wins like this last year and Knaus was saying similar things as the team ended up being flukily eliminated from the Chase in the first round. But we have a sneaking feeling that the No. 48 team isn't going to have a deja vu moment in 2016.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 2): It's got to be frustrating for Kevin Harvick to dominate yet another intermediate track race and come up second to Johnson. But on the other hand, Harvick is in position to get beaten. While it's maddening to lead nearly 75 percent of a race and finish second, there are a lot of people who would trade positions with you. We should probably appreciate the No. 4 team's excellence and consistency more than we should.
3. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4): A second-straight third-place finish puts Hamlin back into the top three. Hamlin led just two laps all weekend, but a great final pit stop had him within sniffing distance of the lead. Before the final caution, Hamlin was heading for a top 10. The tire issue for Kyle Busch simply gave him a chance to upgrade.
4. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): Two races at Auto Club Speedway, two late-race tire issues for Kyle Busch. After he blew a tire while leading on Saturday in the Xfinity race, Busch lost a tire while running in the top five on Sunday. If he doesn't rip up a tire, Harvick wins the race. But alas, he did and Joe Gibbs Racing had to settle for two cars in the top 10 instead of three. What a horrible day.
5. Joey Logano (LW: 9): Logano finished fourth, though if you're on Twitter, the most memorable part of his day was the smackdown tweet Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief Cole Pearn sent. Pearn apologized for the tweet (it had to do with Logano's eyes) and has since deleted it. Ideally, we're not living in a world where crew chiefs aren't suspended for post-race tweets critical of other drivers and teams (no matter how stupid those tweets are), but this is NASCAR, who knows.
Anyway, back to Logano. He heads into the off week with three top 10s in five races and, yes, he did admit to taking fault with the contact between himself and Truex.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5): Keselowski had another pit road penalty on Sunday and ended up battling back to finish ninth. He said after the race that he felt the team had a 5th-10th place car, so perhaps ninth is about right when you take the penalty into account.
7. Carl Edwards (LW: 7): Edwards was second as the laps wound down on Sunday and then his car started sliding further and further away from Harvick. He ended up seventh, which is probably a bit harsh given how much time Edwards spent at the front of the field throughout the day.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 10): Junior finished just outside the top 10 in 11th after struggling with an ill-handling car. We'll never know just how well Junior could have climbed through the field with a healthy car after he got some early-race damage from a run-in with Kurt Busch. The team was able to patch up the dent in the left-front of his car, but you can rarely get a car back to full strength with tape.
9. Kurt Busch (LW: 6): Why was Busch so aggressive early in the race on Sunday? The contact with Junior came when Busch tried to get in front of him off turn four. Busch ended up slowing in front of Junior and the No. 88 simply had nowhere to go and drove into the right rear of Busch's car. At that point in the race, Busch could have easily conceded the position to Junior. If it was lap 195, we get jumping into Junior's line. Busch ended up 30th.
10. Austin Dillon (LW: 8): The optimism that Dillon garnered with his pole run Friday didn't materialize on Sunday. He didn't even lead a lap. Harvick got credit for leading the first lap and Dillon quickly settled in the back half of the top 10. He ended up finishing 24th.
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: NR): Congratulations on your annual top-five finish, Stenhouse. The driver of the No. 17 finished fifth on Sunday. He's now finished in the top five once in each of his four full Sprint Cup seasons. This season could be a bit different, however. Different as in we think Stenhouse could have an additional top five or two. He's the Roush driver that's best adapted to the lower-downforce tweaks and his average finish of 17.2 through the first five races of the season is the best average finish of his career.
12. Chase Elliott (LW: NR): If Elliott isn't crashing, he's finishing in the top 10. Elliott was sixth on Sunday, his third top 10 of the season. In the other two races, he's crashed out off turn four (Daytona) and run into the back of Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas). As far as we're concerned, it's better to have speed and some crashes as a rookie than it is to run 25th every week.
Lucky Dog: AJ Allmendinger got his first top-10 finish since Pocono in August. He hasn't finished in the top five since his Watkins Glen win in 2014.
The DNF: Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick each crashed so hard that the tires of their cars were vaulted off the ground. Thankfully neither driver was injured.
Dropped Out: Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth
Behavior policy could strip the drama from NASCAR.
By JENNA FRYER
NASCAR heads into its first weekend off this season hoping fans are thrilled with the improved on-track product and exciting race finishes.
It's a fair ask: The racing over the first five events of the season has been better, and since Denny Hamlin's victory by mere inches in the Daytona 500, there have been some decent races to the checkered flag.
Alas, it doesn't translate into a buzz capable of carrying NASCAR into mainstream conversation every week.
What does? The drama.
But a new behavioral policy could curb much of the excitement that comes with controversy.
NASCAR's brass faced a handful of behavioral reviews following a three-week West Coast road trip that ended Sunday at California with some unhappy competitors.
Kyle Busch was annoyed with NASCAR for failing to call a caution when his tire failed on the last lap while leading the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. Austin Dillon passed Busch on the last corner to win, Busch finished second and sarcastically thanked NASCAR over his in-car radio for ''fixing races.''
Under a behavioral policy announced days before the season-opening Daytona 500, Busch could be subject to a fine between $10,000 and $50,000 for ''disparaging the sport and/or NASCAR's leadership.''
Busch could also be penalized for skipping his post-race media obligations as the second-place finisher. Strangely, though, Kevin Harvick was told by NASCAR he wasn't needed for a news conference after he finished second in the Sprint Cup race on Sunday, but isn't under any scrutiny.
NASCAR executive Steve O'Donnell told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio after California the series was ''disappointed'' by both Busch's comments and for failing to complete his media obligations.
Also under review this week, according to O'Donnell, is a tweet sent out by Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief after Sunday's race. Cole Pearn was upset with contact between Truex and Joey Logano, and he posted a derogatory tweet toward Logano.
Pearn issued an apology through his race team several hours later, but is still under review by NASCAR.
''We certainly want to be liberal in terms of allowing drivers and competitors to express their opinions, but there's absolutely a line,'' O'Donnell said. ''That's another one we'll have to take a look at.''
Lastly, NASCAR is reviewing Danica Patrick walking toward the track to gesture at Kasey Kahne after Kahne caused her to crash.
If NASCAR does indeed punish anyone this week, it should be Patrick, who broke a clearly defined rule that has been in place since 2014. The rule was put into place after Tony Stewart's car struck and killed a sprint car driver who had exited his vehicle to confront the NASCAR driver on the track.
So Patrick actually did break a rule. The rest of it? Ehhh.
As the reigning Sprint Cup champion - and a driver who has made considerable gains in terms of maturity and personal growth - Busch should probably hold himself to a higher standard of professionalism. But Busch has never been one to bite his tongue, and his negative comments toward NASCAR over his team radio are not uncommon. He indicated on Twitter he expects a fine, and said skipping all post-race interviews Saturday will likely get him ''a discount'' on the sanction. In other words, he said nothing rather than dig a deeper hole.
But if NASCAR excused Harvick from post-race obligations a day later, it's hard to justify Busch for failing to give any interviews. Drivers either have to speak to the media or they don't. There shouldn't be exceptions to who is and is not expected to meet media obligations.
And as for Pearn's tweet, well, that's the kind of stuff fans talk about. They won't spend the next week discussing the passes of drivers racing inside the top 10. But they will remember Pearn took a public shot at Logano, and that Busch is mad at NASCAR, and that Patrick is mad at Kahne.
Trying to stifle the personalities and raw emotion from competitors is going to hurt NASCAR in the long run. The sport is fortunate right now that its 2016 rules package has been embraced by drivers and indeed has made the racing more watchable.
But for 38 events over nearly 10 months, the racing alone is not going to carry the sport. NASCAR needs its personalities, its drama, its feuds, to build any sort of sustainable momentum. Without that drama, it's just cars going in circles.
SOCCER: Chicago Fire; Paunovic: Jonathan Campbell has national team potential.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Chicago Fire have a lot of young players on the roster and a few of them are already earning regular playing time, but none seem to have settled in as quickly as Jonathan Campbell.
The rookie has worked his way into a center back trio for the Fire and his coach is taking notice of the 22-year-old’s potential.
“I think Jonathan is doing well with his adaptation to the league,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said. “It only took two or three games. It’s amazing how intelligent and how well he is handling this first year as a rookie.
The rookie has worked his way into a center back trio for the Fire and his coach is taking notice of the 22-year-old’s potential.
“I think Jonathan is doing well with his adaptation to the league,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said. “It only took two or three games. It’s amazing how intelligent and how well he is handling this first year as a rookie.
“I truly believe that he can be not only a very good player for Chicago Fire, which we all work on that, but also for the national team. I think that he has that capacity to become a great player for this country.”
Paunovic’s heavy praise comes with some numbers to back it up.
The Fire’s revamped defense was shredded for three goals in the first half of the season opener against New York City FC. Campbell came on at halftime of that match and has played every minute since. The Fire have given up two goals in the 225 minutes Campbell has been on the field.
As a center back Campbell wasn’t expecting to come on as a sub against NYCFC, which added a bit to the nerves of making his professional debut.
“I was nervous, but I was think nerves can be good,” Campbell said. “In that game I was ready to go in, but I wasn’t expecting to come in at halftime just as a center back. You only get three subs and you’re not really expecting to change things much in the back. That’s what we did and we changed formation.”
The formation change has stuck so far and part of the improvement in defense is simply down to the extra body. The Fire have played with five defenders since Campbell’s inclusion and Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said in his postgame press conference that the Fire defending in numbers made it tough for the Crew.
The shutout in that match was the Fire’s first since Aug. 2, 2015. The club had gone 15 matches without a shutout.
“I think we marked up well in the box and were a lot cleaner with our clearances,” Campbell said after the match. “We didn’t give them really many chances. The shots that they took were far out of the box so I think we did a good job with that.”
Campbell played a big part in limiting Crew forward Kei Kamara, a physical presence coming off a 22-goal season, as the central most of the three Fire center backs.
That’s not to say Campbell is a finished product. He made a few errant passes against Columbus and was at least partially at fault for Cyle Larin’s goal in the match at Orlando. Campbell gave Larin too much space after a Fire turnover and although Campbell was able to recover and block Larin’s first attempt, the loose ball fell back to Larin for the goal.
It appears Paunovic and the Fire will put up with some rookie mistakes, especially if Paunovic believes so strongly in Campbell’s potential.
The Run-In: Almighty scramble for remaining European spots.
By Joe Prince-Wright
With seven games to go in the Premier League, this is getting tense.
Bearing that in mind, here at ProSoccerTalk we thought it would be a good time to look at the final weeks of the season and the scenarios for each team.
Here’s “The Run-In” looking at the teams who are battling for European qualification.
Manchester City
Current position/points: 4th/51 points (played 30 games)
Current position/points: 4th/51 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: vs. Arsenal, May 7 | Full schedule
Most important player: Vincent Kompany – Captain and CB needs to stay fit otherwise City is in deep trouble
Most likely outcome: UCL qualification but if the recent slide continues, teams are queuing up to replace them.
Current position/points: 5th/50 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: at Leicester City, Apr. 17 | Full schedule
Most important player: Dimitri Payet – Mercurial playmaker must be at his best in final weeks for the Hammers to crack the top four.
Most likely outcome: Top six and Europa League qualification. Some tough games to finish with.
Manchester United
Current position/points: 6th/50 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: vs. Leicester, May 1 | Full schedule
Most important player: David De Gea – They can continue to sneak 1-0 wins as long as De Gea continues to pull off stunning saves.
Most likely outcome: They will be right in the hunt for a top four spot until the final game of the season. This will be tight.
Southampton
Current position/points: 7th/47 points
Toughest game: at Tottenham, May 7 | Full schedule
Most important player: Sadio Mane – If the Senegalese winger can stay hot, Saints can make a run at the top four. Seriously.
Most likely outcome: Another 7th place finish. Koeman’s men have three of the top four still to play.
Stoke City
Current position/points: 8th/46 points
Toughest game: vs. Tottenham, April 18 | Full schedule
Most important player: Marko Arnautovic – The big Austrian has stopped scoring and needs to regain form in the final weeks.
Most likely outcome: It seems like a top six finish is well within Stoke’s reach. They have plenty of tough games left. 7-9th most likely.
Liverpool
Current position/points: 9th/44 points (played 29 games)
Toughest game: vs. Tottenham, April 2 | Full schedule
Most important player: Philippe Coutinho – He makes them tick and when he’s on his game, Liverpool win. Imperative they find him.
Most likely outcome: Probably outside the top six. Yes, they’ve games in hand but this season would always be tough. Believe in Klopp.
Chelsea
Current position/points: 10th/41 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: vs. Man City, April 16 | Full schedule
Most important player: Diego Costa – He’s back scoring goals and looks sharp but he must stay focused down the stretch.
Most likely outcome: At this point, top six would be miraculous. 8th would be the best possible outcome for the reigning champs.
The Run-In: Two-horse title race intensifying (plus, Arsenal)
By Joe Prince-Wright
With seven games to go in the Premier League, this is getting tense.
Bearing that in mind, here at ProSoccerTalk we thought it would be a good time to look at the final weeks of the season and the scenarios for each team.
Here’s “The Run-In” looking at the teams who are battling for the title.
Leicester City
Current position/points: 1st/66 points
Current position/points: 1st/66 points
Toughest game: at Man United, May 1 | Full schedule
Most important player: N'Golo Kante – Sure, Vardy and Mahrez are massively important but Kante is the heartbeat. He must keep fit and drive them on to grind out points.
Most likely outcome: It would take a massive collapse for Leicester to not win this title now and they have the easiest schedule, on paper, of all three. Five points clear with seven games left, they are the Champions-elect. Remarkable story. Perhaps the best in PL history.
Tottenham Hotspur
Current position/points: 2nd/61 points
Toughest game: vs. Man United, April 10 | Full schedule
Most important player: Harry Kane – With five goals in his last three PL outings, he’s red-hot. If he keeps it going, the title could be coming to the Lane.
Most likely outcome: Honestly, with the players they possess and their sterling defensive record, Spurs could sneak this. There’s one more twist left in this season… They have the tougher schedule.
Arsenal
Current position/points: 3rd/55 points (game in hand over Spurs and Leicester)
Toughest game: at Man City, May 7 | Full schedule
Most important player: Alexis Sanchez – He’s the only man who can save Wenger from an almighty inquest this summer. Chilean must score more in the run-in.
Most likely outcome: 3rd. This really is a two-horse title race, but Arsenal can apply some pressure and see how inexperienced Spurs and Leicester handle it… Finishing second wouldn’t be a disastrous season but top four seems highly likely now.
The Run-In: Safe, but not sound in the bottom half of the Premier League.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/Getty Images)
With seven games to go in the Premier League, this is getting tense.
Bearing that in mind, here at ProSoccerTalk we thought it would be a good time to look at the final weeks of the season and the scenarios for each team.
Here’s “The Run-In” looking at the fortunes of teams unlikely to face relegation nor make a run into a European tournament.
Bearing that in mind, here at ProSoccerTalk we thought it would be a good time to look at the final weeks of the season and the scenarios for each team.
Here’s “The Run-In” looking at the fortunes of teams unlikely to face relegation nor make a run into a European tournament.
Current position/points: 11th/39 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: at Arsenal & Spurs, April 21 & 25 | Full schedule
Most important player: Gareth McAuley. The big Northern Irish center back has turned back the hands of time.
Most likely outcome: A very tough slate of games are coming, and manager Tony Pulis will be sure to batten down the hatches to make sure no entertainment comes anyone’s way. Call them 13th.
Everton
Current position/points: 12th/38 points (played 29 games)’
Toughest game: at Liverpool, April 20 | Full schedule
Most important player: Ross Barkley. He does a bit of everything, and this year has really lived up to his potential.
Most likely outcome: The only team in this bunch that could challenge to finish top half, but also is focused on succeeding the semifinals of the FA Cup and beyond. 11th.
Bournemouth
Current position/points: 13th/38 points (played 31 games)
Toughest game: at Man Utd, May 15 Full schedule
Most important player: Andrew Surman. The steady South African midfielder covers plenty of ground and has intangibles overflowing from whatever he uses to store intangibles.
Most likely outcome: Very difficult run home for the Cherries, who will struggle to keep up their recent pace.
Watford
Current position/points: 14th/37 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: at Arsenal, April 2 | Full schedule
Most important player: Troy Deeney. The plaudits head Odion Ighalo‘s way more often, but Deeney’s hold-up play has created so many chances for the Hornets, and his leadership is valuable.
Most likely outcome: Around 13th-15th.
Swansea City
Current position/points: 15th/36 points (played 31 games)
Toughest game: at Leicester City, April 24| Full schedule
Most important player: Ashley Williams. The veteran back’s crunching tackles and keen reactions have saved Swans’ leaky defense more points than their performances deserve.
Most likely outcome: A relatively tricky run-in should have Swans finishing no more than a spot higher than their current position.
The Run-In: The fortunes of five teams fighting to stay in the big money Premier League.
By Nicholas Mendola
With seven games to go in the Premier League, this is getting tense.
Bearing that in mind, here at ProSoccerTalk we thought it would be a good time to look at the final weeks of the season and the scenarios for each team.
Here’s “The Run-In” looking at the teams who are battling to avoid relegation to the second-tier Championship.
Current position/points: 16th/33 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game(s): at Arsenal & Man Utd, April 17 & 20 | Full schedule
Most important player: Yannick Bolasie. As Yohan Cabaye fades, it’s up to Bolasie to supply electricity to the Palace attack.
Most likely outcome: Safe, though Palace remains winless in the Premier League since New Year’s Day.
Norwich City
Current position/points: 17th/28 points (played 31 games)
Toughest game: at Arsenal, April 30 | Full schedule
Most important player: Sebastien Bassong. The Cameroonian back is an important part of the Canaries defense, attack and possession game.
Most likely outcome: Norwich has the least quality of the bunch, but Alex Neil has the club grinding in every match. The two-point lead is nice, and the Canaries may know their fate in three weeks, as they face Newcastle, Palace and Sunderland, only the middle match away from Carrow Road.
Sunderland
Current position/points: 18th/26 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: vs. Arsenal, April 24| Full schedule
Most important player: Jermain Defoe. The 33-year-old striker keeps bagging goals at important times. Given the way the Black Cats defend, he’s going to need to keep doing it.
Most likely outcome: Their January buys give them the quality to stay up, and Sam Allardyce has been through a relegation fight or two in his day. He’s also gotten his club into those battles though, so, comme ci, comme ca. We like their odds to go down.
Newcastle United
Current position/points: 19th/25 points (played 30 games)
Toughest game: at Southampton, April 9 | Full schedule
Most important player: Georginio Wijnaldum. The Dutch playmaker might be leading the Premier League in assists if Aleksandar Mitrovic and company had their finishing boots in order.
Most likely outcome: Rafa Benitez is a smart manager, one who gives them a fighting chance to go with their strong talent base. If they win at Norwich next week, they’ll be the favorites to stay up between Sunderland, Norwich and themselves. Staying up.
Aston Villa
Current position/points: Cooked-20th/16 points (played 31 games)
Most important player: Idrissa Gueye. He’s quietly been a solid all-around midfielder on a team lacking in talent. Look for him to get a move somewhere in the PL next season.
Most likely outcome: Down.
NCAABKB: Sweet 16 Preview: Re-ranking the remainder of the NCAA Tournament field.
By Rob Dauster
(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
1. No. 1 (South) Kansas: Kansas is not the most talented team in the country. They don’t have the best player left in the tournament. They probably don’t even have the best player left in their region and may not even have the best player on the floor when they take on No. 5 Maryland on Thursday night. But Bill Self has done a tremendous job with this team, balancing egos and shots and touches. They may not have that one guy that you know will take over a game at some point, but they will have three or four guys on the floor at any given moment that can take over a game. A punch is the most dangerous when you don’t know where it’s coming from.
2. No. 1 (East) North Carolina: Part of me wanted to put UNC No. 1 on this list because I think that, when push comes to shove, Roy Williams has the team with the highest ceiling of anyone left in the NCAA tournament. With Brice Johnson playing like an all-American and the good Marcus Paige and Joel Berry showing up, the Tar Heels are really, really, especially when they decide to defend like they have the last three weeks. But will that last? Are we sure there won’t be anymore defensive blips like there were.
3. No. 2 (West) Oklahoma: Buddy’s back, baby. Hield went for 27 points in the tournament opener and followed that up with a 36-point performance against VCU where he scored 29 in the second half and had 26 of Oklahoma’s 31 points in the final 15 minutes. Oklahoma is a limited, one-dimensional team, but when that one-dimension is kicking into high gear, they can be awesome.
4. No. 1 (Midwest) Virginia: If you were to give me odds on who would win the tournament, I think I’d have the Wahoos higher than Oklahoma simply because I think they have a much easier path to get there, locking horns with Iowa State and a double-digit seed instead of Texas A&M and the Duke-Oregon winner. I’m still going to reserve the right to change my mind on this before the Sweet 16 starts, because I’m not sure anyone else in the country has a guy that can take over offensively and defensively the way that Malcolm Brogdon can.
5. No. 1 (West) Oregon: This is a chance for Oregon to prove a lot of things to a lot of people. We’re now into the Sweet 16 and there are probably still die-hard college basketball fans that can’t name their starting lineup. That’s what happens when you’re underrated in the preseason, you can’t get many nationally-televised games and your TV network makes it as difficult as possible for media members and fans alike to actually be able to see the games. How many people are going to actually be seeing the Ducks — who are really, really good, but the way — for the first time when they play Duke on Thursday?
6. No. 5 (East) Indiana: I’m still concerned about Indiana’s size and depth along their front line, but it is absolutely impossible to ignore how good they’ve gotten on the defensive end. The combination of Troy Williams being locked in and O.G. Anunoby and Colin Hartman becoming effective and versatile players is a difference-maker. Oh, and they’ve got this dude named Yogi who’s pretty OK. I can’t believe how much I like the Hoosiers right now based on what they were three months ago.
7. No. 3 (South) Miami: The only reason that I don’t have Miami in the top five is Angel Rodriguez. He’s one of the most talented point guards left in this tournament, and, as I wrote on Saturday, is one of those guys that is not afraid of the moment. The problem is his consistency. It’s been less of an issue this season, but there is still a phenomenon known as ‘Good Angel’ and ‘Bad Angel’. When he’s good, their talent — Sheldon McClellan is the real deal — and their athleticism is probably better than you realize.
8. No. 2 (South) Villanova: Kudos to Villanova for getting over the Sweet 16 hump. Ryan Arcidiacono has been too good for too long to forever be associated with early tournament exits. But the problem is that I’m just not sure that this team has the talent or athleticism to make it to the Final Four. Those fears, however, are somewhat assuaged when Kris Jenkins plays the way he has for the last month.
9. No. 4 (West) Duke: The depth issues and the point guard issues reared their ugly heads in the second round game against Yale, when Duke nearly — and probably should totally — blown a 27-point lead to a Bulldog team that isn’t exactly known for their ability to press. But the bottom line is this: Duke is going to have the two best players on the floor almost every time they play. Will that be enough this deep into the tournament?
10. No. 3 (West) Texas A&M: I’m just not sold on the Aggies. I haven’t really been all season long. I love Danuel House, but I’m not sure who else on this team can beat you. Tyler Davis is a year away from truly being a force, Alex Caruso and Anthony Collins are not exactly guys you need to guard out to the three-point line and Jalen Jones can be inconsistent. If Northern Iowa was able to inbound the ball under their own basket, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.
11. No. 4 (Midwest) Iowa State: There are two reasons the Cyclones are rated this low: Depth and the fact that you never really know what you’re going to get out of Deonte Burton and Jameel McKay. That said, Georges Niang and Monte’ Morris is the best 1-2 punch this side of Allen and Ingram.
12. No. 6 (East) Notre Dame: I’m not really sure how to feel about this Notre Dame team. I love Demetrius Jackson, I love Zach Auguste and I think that Steve Vasturia, Bonzie Colson and V.J. Beachem are underrated role players. But this team also should have lost to Stephen F. Austin, they should have lost to Duke in the ACC tournament, where they eventually lost by 31 to UNC.
13. No. 11 (Midwest) Gonzaga: The big difference for the Zags has been the play of their back court recently. If they can get this effort from Josh Perkins (reached double-figures five of the last eight games) and Eric McClellan (an elite defender who has gone off for 20+ points in three of his last five games), their front line of Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer is good enough that this might be Mark Few’s best chance at getting to a Final Four.
14. No. 7 (East) Wisconsin: Maybe I just can’t shake the image of December Wisconsin from my memory, but I think it’s fair to make the argument that this is the least-talented team left in the tournament. That hasn’t slowed them down the last two months, however, and the only thing currently standing between them and a shot at the Final Four is Notre Dame … well, and Nigel Hayes if he can’t find a way to get it going this weekend.
15. No. 5 (South) Maryland: In terms of talent, Maryland might be No. 1 on this list. Seriously. But the Terps looked anything like the team we expected to see this season for an extended period of time. The did for four minutes Sunday night. They did for a half against South Dakota State. I’m not sure why people expect them to change against the best team left in the tournament.
16. No. 10 (Midwest) Syracuse: I’m going to recycle a line that I used in the Sweet 16 Preview because I love it so much: “Please, don’t be the guy that says the Orange justified their inclusion with these two wins. By all means, enjoy this run, but it doesn’t “prove” the committee right anymore than getting drunk in a bar “proves” you’re 21 if you got in with a fake ID.”
Mark Aguirre, Doug Collins to be inducted into College Hoops HOF.
By Tony Andracki
Mark Aguirre (L) and Doug Collins (R). (Photo/csnchicago.com)
Even if Illinois didn't have a team in the NCAA Tournament, it's still a banner year for collegiate basketball in the state.
Illinois State legend Doug Collins and former DePaul star Mark Aguirre will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
The two are part of a group of eight inductees that will be recognized during the NCAA Final Four April 2 with the actual ceremony coming Nov. 18 in Kansas City.
ISU named its basketball court at Redbird Arena after Collins, who averaged 29.1 points per game in three seasons with Illinois State. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft (Philadelphia 76ers) after being named a first-team All-American his final year in college.
Collins also played for Team USA in the 1972 Olympics and had a solid career as an NBA player, coach and analyst. He coached the Bulls from 1986-89.
Illinois State legend Doug Collins and former DePaul star Mark Aguirre will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
The two are part of a group of eight inductees that will be recognized during the NCAA Final Four April 2 with the actual ceremony coming Nov. 18 in Kansas City.
ISU named its basketball court at Redbird Arena after Collins, who averaged 29.1 points per game in three seasons with Illinois State. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft (Philadelphia 76ers) after being named a first-team All-American his final year in college.
Collins also played for Team USA in the 1972 Olympics and had a solid career as an NBA player, coach and analyst. He coached the Bulls from 1986-89.
Aguirre was a two-time All-American and averaged 24 points per game as a Freshman while leading DePaul to the Final Four. He was the Naismith Player of the Year in 1980 and went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft (Dallas Mavericks).
Aguirre won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons and DePaul retired his No. 24 jersey.
In addition to Collins and Aguirre, the Class of 2016 also includes former Bulls player (1966-69) Bob Boozer (Kansas State), Lionel Simmons (La Salle), Jamaal Wilkes (UCLA), Dominque Wilkins (Georgia) as well as coaches Hugh Durham (Florida State, Georgia, Jacksonville University) and Mike Montgomery (Stanford, California).
NCAAFB: Hancock: 'Too soon to say' what tweaks could come to playoff.
Aguirre won two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons and DePaul retired his No. 24 jersey.
In addition to Collins and Aguirre, the Class of 2016 also includes former Bulls player (1966-69) Bob Boozer (Kansas State), Lionel Simmons (La Salle), Jamaal Wilkes (UCLA), Dominque Wilkins (Georgia) as well as coaches Hugh Durham (Florida State, Georgia, Jacksonville University) and Mike Montgomery (Stanford, California).
NCAAFB: Hancock: 'Too soon to say' what tweaks could come to playoff.
By JOEDY McCREARY
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said Tuesday that it's still ''too soon to say'' if any other adjustments could come to the event's schedule.
Hancock spoke at East Carolina as part of the school's annual sports business leadership lecture.
The CFP earlier this month said it would move the Orange Bowl to prime time on Dec. 30 and start the New Year's Eve semifinals one hour earlier. Television ratings for the Dec. 31 semifinals this past season were down about 35 percent from the 2014 season, when they were played on Jan. 1.
Stressing that those moves were for this year only, Hancock said, ''We did what we said we were going to do, which was look at things after the games this year.''
The semifinals were played on New Year's Eve for the first time this past season, with the afternoon Oklahoma-Clemson Orange Bowl drawing a 9.1 television rating - a 38.5 percent drop compared to the previous season's Rose Bowl semifinal (14.8). The evening semifinal - the Michigan State-Alabama Cotton bowl - drew a 9.6 rating for ESPN compared to 15.2 for the previous season's Sugar Bowl semifinal.
Total viewership dropped 34.4 percent, going from 28,271,000 for the first season of the playoff to 18,552,000 in the second.
Hancock spoke at East Carolina as part of the school's annual sports business leadership lecture.
The CFP earlier this month said it would move the Orange Bowl to prime time on Dec. 30 and start the New Year's Eve semifinals one hour earlier. Television ratings for the Dec. 31 semifinals this past season were down about 35 percent from the 2014 season, when they were played on Jan. 1.
Stressing that those moves were for this year only, Hancock said, ''We did what we said we were going to do, which was look at things after the games this year.''
The semifinals were played on New Year's Eve for the first time this past season, with the afternoon Oklahoma-Clemson Orange Bowl drawing a 9.1 television rating - a 38.5 percent drop compared to the previous season's Rose Bowl semifinal (14.8). The evening semifinal - the Michigan State-Alabama Cotton bowl - drew a 9.6 rating for ESPN compared to 15.2 for the previous season's Sugar Bowl semifinal.
Total viewership dropped 34.4 percent, going from 28,271,000 for the first season of the playoff to 18,552,000 in the second.
The original schedule also had the Orange Bowl as the first game in a New Year's Eve tripleheader, but it was bumped up a day so it could keep its traditional evening time slot.
In the 2018 season, the Sugar and Rose bowl semifinals will be played on New Year's Day.
''The bottom line is, we want to make the games as easy for fans to watch as we possibly can,'' Hancock said. ''Whatever ways we need to do that, we're going to try to do that. So I felt very good about the action that we took. We'll just see what the future holds.''
With presidents Obama, Castro watching, Rays beat Cuban team.
By Peter Orsi
When Kevin Kiermaier slid into home for the Tampa Bay Rays' first run of the day, President Barack Obama flung his arms wide in the sign for ''safe.''
Then he turned to his left and shook the hand of his seatmate and Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro.
The scene was a remarkable milestone for sports diplomacy as the two presidents try to set aside more than 50 years of Cold War hostility during which about the only thing the countries agreed on was a shared love of baseball.
Obama and Castro even joined in when fans were doing ''the wave.''
In the landmark game, the first visit by a major league team to the communist island since 1999, the Rays beat the Cuban national team 4-1 on Tuesday.
James Loney homered and drove in three runs, and Matt Moore and the Tampa Bay pitchers shut out the Cubans until Rudy Reyes homered in the ninth inning.
But the day will be remembered less for the final score than for the two men sitting in the front row at Estadio Latinoamericano, the last stop on Obama's trip to Cuba this week in a bid to further pave the road toward normalized relations.
The near-capacity crowd roared as Obama and Castro entered and walked toward their seats right behind home plate, waving to fans and greeting other dignitaries.
Chants of ''Raul! Raul!'' broke out.
Chants of ''Raul! Raul!'' broke out.
Rarely has so much pomp and circumstance accompanied an exhibition game. Former All-Stars Derek Jeter and Dave Winfield and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred were among the president's greeters. Secretary of State John Kerry was also in the VIP box, as well as several of Cuba's highest officials.
Before the first pitch, Rays players walked over from the dugout to say hello and passed flowers and small Cuban flags through the netting to first lady Michelle Obama and first daughter Sasha.
''Appreciate you guys,'' said the president, clad in a white shirt and sunglasses. Castro was slightly more formal in a blazer.
Obama shared an extended handshake with ace pitcher Chris Archer, who once was a minor leaguer for the Chicago Cubs. He gave Obama, a White Sox fan, a glove owned by Moore.
Obama shared an extended handshake with ace pitcher Chris Archer, who once was a minor leaguer for the Chicago Cubs. He gave Obama, a White Sox fan, a glove owned by Moore.
The last time a big league club played in Cuba was 17 years ago when the Baltimore Orioles came to this same stadium during spring training.
''We won't experience anything like this again,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said afterward. ''So it's a very special day for Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays and obviously all of our players, myself included.''
Said Moore: ''It's really great, you know, this is something that feels like a very big game back home ... I've had the opportunity to be in the playoffs a few times and this feels like that kind of an event.''
Both Obama and Castro were gone by the third inning - with Obama heading to the airport to fly south for a state visit to Argentina - but the stands remained packed until the final out.
Reyes, a hometown favorite who plays for Havana's powerhouse club Industriales, finally gave the fans a reason to cheer with his solo shot.
''It kind of went quiet for a little bit, but then they get something going, you can imagine how loud this place can get when it's championship baseball,'' Cash said.
The day left Reyes imagining something else, too.
The day left Reyes imagining something else, too.
''A lot, this game meant a lot, because of the brotherhood there will be from now on'' between Cuban and U.S. baseball, the third baseman said.
The diamond détente will help ''open the door to the possibility that Cuban baseball players can play'' in the majors, he said.
What the game lacked in offensive productivity from the home team, it made up for in pageantry.
Loud music and dancers on the field warmed the crowd up beforehand, and tots in tiny baseball uniforms escorted the players out for introductions.
A white-clad choir sang both countries' national anthems and a flock of doves was unleashed from the center-field stands. The Cuban and U.S. flags fluttered atop the scoreboard under overcast skies.
The stadium known as ''El Latino'' got a facelift just before the Rays' visit, providing a freshly scrubbed backdrop.
''It's beautiful. The field looks marvelous,'' said Guillermo Gonzalez, an 18-year-old university student. ''We are celebrating a union between two peoples, between the United States and Cuba. It's marvelous.''
The stands were notably more mellow than your average Cuban game, where the music, dancing and horn-blowing can be practically nonstop.
Admission was free, and tickets were distributed to Cubans through organizations such as student groups and workplaces. That essentially assured a well-behaved crowd and no government opponents around to protest.
Maria Ester Mendoza Alvarez, a 52-year-old university professor, agreed that cultural exchanges like this one can help heal geopolitical schisms, but also said the United States ought to end its economic embargo on and give back the naval base at Guantanamo - two longstanding grievances of the Cuban government.
''Forget all the politics - we are going to enjoy this as a game, nothing more,'' Mendoza said.
The trip was also a homecoming for Tampa right fielder Dayron Varona, who was born in Havana and spent seven years playing in Cuba before hopping a boat to Haiti in 2013. On Monday he had a tearful reunion with relatives he hadn't seen in three years.
In a symbolic moment, Varona was first to bat Tuesday. He flied out to first, to polite applause. He said after the game that ''playing baseball here is a really beautiful thing, very impressive.''
Meeting Obama, that also stood out.
''That gave me a lot of satisfaction,'' Varona said. ''I hope someone took a photo and has it somewhere so I can go pick it up.''
Luis Tiant, a three-time MLB all-star, and Pedro Luis Lazo, who had a long career with Cuban club Pinar del Rio and the national team, threw out the first pitches.
The stadium observed a minute of silence before the game in memory of the Brussels attacks.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1952 - Bill Mosienko (Chicago Black Hawks) scored the fastest hat trick in NHL history. He scored 3 goals in 21 seconds.
1971 - The Boston Patriots officially announced their name would change to the New England Patriots.
1972 - Evil Knievel broke 93 bones after successfully jumping 35 cars.
1991 - The London Monarchs beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 24-11 in the World League of American Football's (WLAF) first game.
1994 - Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) score his 802nd career goal to pass Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.
1995 - Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) became the first European player to lead the NHL in scoring.
2002 - Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) slashed Lyle Odelein (Chicago Blackhawks) during a game. On March 25, 2002, Tkachuk was suspended for one game without pay for the incident.
1971 - The Boston Patriots officially announced their name would change to the New England Patriots.
1972 - Evil Knievel broke 93 bones after successfully jumping 35 cars.
1991 - The London Monarchs beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 24-11 in the World League of American Football's (WLAF) first game.
1994 - Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) score his 802nd career goal to pass Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.
1995 - Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) became the first European player to lead the NHL in scoring.
2002 - Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) slashed Lyle Odelein (Chicago Blackhawks) during a game. On March 25, 2002, Tkachuk was suspended for one game without pay for the incident.
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